BONNERS FERRY — Nearly two years after their son and daughter in-law died in an auto accident and they lost an attempt for custody of the couple’s children,  Fred and Anna Belle Heiss discovered the family’s property has disappeared.

Karl Heiss and Marisa Bauducco-Heiss died Oct. 3, 2008, on Interstate 5 near Olympia, Wash. Their 8-year-old son, Alden, survived and their 13-year-old daughter, Aliana, suffered a brain injury.

After a lengthy and emotional custody battle, the care of the children went to Marisa’s mother, who lives in Argentina.

At a November 2009 probate auction. The Heisses  bought back several items which belonged to their son Karl and his family. Anna Belle Heiss said they could not transport all the items back home to Malibu, Calif., so they rented a storage shed at Alpine Storage and left the remainder of the property to be picked up at a later date.

She said the couple wanted to gather the items from storage and set the things up for their grandchildren when they visit them in January, only to find they had been sold.

Because of a mix up their storage unit was mistaken for an adjacent unit that had not been paid on for over a year.  The Heisses paid their bill on time each month so they were very upset and shocked at the fact the items in the unit had been sold.

According to owner of Alpine Storage John Dvorsek, the neighboring unit belonged to a young man who did not pay his bill. Dvorsek said the  man must have cleaned out his unit in the middle of the night before Dvorsek put a lock on it to prevent him from getting into the unit. Without realizing the man took his things, Dvorsek put the bolt on the Heiss’ unit by mistake, thinking it was the young man’s. 

After 30 days , the items were sold in the Heiss’ unit, all the while Dvorsek thinking they belonged to the man who did not pay his bill.

Dvorsek has already helped retrieve a manuscript that Karl wrote, plus some family photographs. He thinks he can also retrieve the bed that may have been purchased by a Mennonite family.

He also is diligently making calls and trying to track down what he can. He also told the Herald he is willing to offer compensation to the Heisses.

Anna Belle Heiss said that there are also books the children’s parents once read to them, the dishes they used, silver, clothes they wore, a bed, kitchen table and stools. They wanted to get these items set up before the children come to visit them in hopes of bringing the children the comfort of seeing familiar things.

Also among the items are and erector set that is over 100-years-old, old hand tools and leather tool bag and box that once belonged to Anna Belle Heiss’ father. A wood captains chair that belonged to Fred’s mother is also missing.

The Heisses feel that with everything that has happened this just adds to their grief and they are asking for the community to help.

Dvorsek said he wants to do everything he can to help the Heisses retrieve their property and he feels awful about the mistake.

Anyone who may think they purchased any of the items mentioned at Alpine Storage in mid-July can contact Anna Belle Heiss at 310-457-7181, or  John Dvorsek at 267-7397 or the Herald at 267-5521.